Goguryeo Tombs with Murals: A Time Machine Into the Goguryeo Dynasty

Name of Building: Goguryeo tombs with murals

Architect: Unknown

Approximate Date: 3rd century BCE-7th century CE

Materials: Stone chambers covered in Earth mounds, natural pigments

Location: Near Pyongyang, North Korea

When you first take a glance at the Goguryeo tomb murals, you’re probably wondering a lot of things. What scenes are depicted? Who are these figures? In fact, these aren’t just faded paintings on old stone walls—they’re like a time machine into a kingdom that lasted shortly. The Goguryeo Kingdom. During the Goguryeo era, people painted their lives, beliefs, rituals, and even their daily activities onto the walls of their tombs. You see dancers with flowing ribbons, celestial beings floating in the skies, strong men wrestling tigers, and even scenes of banquets. It was a way for them to journal and keep record of their lives and the history of the kingdom. Today, these amazing mural paintings act as a historical record; we get a glimpse into life during the Goguryeo dynasty as we look at them. 

But why did they record history inside a tomb rather than on a paper? The tombs themselves were grand stone chambers buried under grassy mounds, built for emperors. The fact that these tombs are only for emperors make them special, but it’s what’s inside that really is more remarkable: colorful frescoes depicting daily lives in the Goguryeo dynasty. It is quite surprising to say that these murals are undamaged and survived centuries of harsh weather and violent invasions. I personally think that its long-lasting perseverance is what makes the tombs with murals a more valuable site.

What is outstanding about the murals is that everything is full of movement. As viewers, we can feel the tensions as if we were viewing them live. Another thing that is done well is that it creates a lifelike feeling as if we were interacting with them. 

The murals are priceless because Goguryeo left behind few written records. I chose this site because it connects the present with the past through architecture. Unlike most architectural sites, it creates a nice visual sense of what life was like in the past. These tombs weren’t solely built for death—they were built to preserve history.

References

• https://www.ijkaa.org/v.9/0/8/136 

  Journal of Korean Art and Archaeology

• http://e.nrich.go.kr/2021/04/28/capturing-the-mysterious-charm-of-goguryeo-2/ 

  Nrich